Dear Canes,
As you are aware, we are in unprecedented waters with the outbreak of the coronavirus. Many of you left for spring break not realizing you would not come back this semester. For some of you, this was supposed to be the last semester of your college career. I, like many of you, left for spring break not realizing the rest of my semester would take place at home.
Regardless of your situation, this is a difficult time for everyone, and I wanted to take a moment to remind you that it’s OK to be frustrated and upset. It is OK to be sad or to feel like your experiences have been cut short. I also wanted to remind you that although its OK to feel all these feelings, it’s important to be patient and understanding.
This is unchartered territory for everyone, and we are all facing new challenges. Your professors will also be learning to use online software and we will all be adapting to new schedules and routines from around the world. Although the semester is not ideal to us students, it’s important we take the regulations by both the university and the government seriously.
I am writing to you about ways you can be proactive to keep yourself and fellow Canes safe and to remind you of some important resources available at UM. “Canes Care for Canes” is imperative now more than ever. Restrictions released by both the CDC and University of Miami emergency response team are recommended in order to protect students, but it’s on all of us to follow these guidelines.
This is how we can be proactive as a community to keep ourselves safe. The time for you to be socially responsible is now.
What can you do to be socially responsible?
- According to the CDC as of March 17, you should limit your gatherings to 10 or fewer people.
- Practice social distancing and frequently sanitize to minimize the spread of germs.
- If you see people actively disregarding these safety measures, be accountable for your peers and kindly remind them.
- Spread credible information to your peers via UmiamiENN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
- If you see something say something. Communicate and report issues you see to leaders in our community.
What can you do if you have a question or issue?
As student government president I have the privilege to be well informed and able to vocalize on behalf of students. In these meetings I represent all of you and am happy to hear any of your concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me at ecg74@miami.edu. It has been an honor serving as your president this year and I wish the best to Abi (aaa584@miami.edu) who will be taking over my position April 7.
If you are facing a serious issue whether it be personal, academic or financial, please reach out to the ombudsperson in the student affair staff. They are trained and here to help you remain safe and achieve your goals. You can connect with the ombudsperson here.
Finally, I encourage you all to take care of both your physical and mental health and find ways to cope with all the new changes you are each going through. Practice social distancing and limit your encounters to protect yourself and vulnerable populations. Schedule video lunches with your friends, workout from home, find time to do things that make you happy. The university will be providing tele service counselling through the Counselling Center. Tele services can be found here.
Sincerely,
Emily Gossett
Student government president